Walberg: Schools need flexibility to excel
By U.S. REP. TIM WALBERG
Hailed as the centerpiece of President George W. Bush's first-term domestic policy agenda, the No Child Left Behind Act was originally intended to return some education policymaking authority to the states. Unfortunately, during the process of crafting, passing and enacting it, the NCLB legislation took the form of a massive spending bill filled with mandates that increased the federal presence in our classrooms.
Today, teachers in Michigan and across the nation are forced to adopt a "teach to the test" mentality and spend valuable time on paperwork instead of with students.
Consider my daughter-in-law. A hardworking and talented teacher, she experienced first-hand the problems No Child Left Behind creates for teachers, parents and students.
As a classroom teacher forced to teach to the tests required by NCLB, she actually considered quitting because of the paperwork and restrictions imposed on her. She struggled to have time to give individual attention to each of her special needs students.
Ironically, she obtained her teaching position due to her performance the year prior as a permanent substitute teacher in a classroom. Because she was not required to fill out all the forms and paperwork required by No Child Left Behind, she excelled, and the school offered her a permanent position.
It has been estimated that teachers and school officials have spent an additional 6.7 million hours completing the cumbersome paperwork required by NCLB, leaving states and localities upset about the degree of federal intervention in education policymaking.
Though it seems unlikely Congress will enact serious education reform in 2008, we must find a way to give our schools greater flexibility, reduce the bureaucracy involved in education, and ensure the best educational opportunities really are being given to our children.
In years past, Congress has attempted to solve problems in education by simply throwing piles of federal money into the education system. The current administration sought to remedy this problem through NCLB, but ultimately failed.
Because I believe each child's educational path should be determined by a child's parents and not by the federal government, I support an alternative education policy, the A-PLUS Act.
A-PLUS would give states, teachers and parents the freedom and authority to determine what educational path a student should take. With A-PLUS, states can bypass onerous federal mandates, and state leaders can decide how to use federal education funds to improve student achievement.
Under NCLB, states are forced by the Department of Education to use federal education funding only on specific programs. As part of A-PLUS, states can opt out of federal programs, and state leaders decide how to use federal education funds to improve student achievement. State officials must declare how the funds are implemented and be transparent in the implementation process.
A-PLUS would also allow educators to teach for progress and meet the expectations of parents, rather than teaching only so students can obtain a passing mark on a high-stakes test.
States are laboratories for innovative ideas. With the freedom and tools to implement sound educational policies and new approaches, our students will learn more, so they can achieve and prosper in life.
We all are seeking the best possible educational opportunities for our children, and the way to achieve this is to let those closest to students to make the important decisions about their education, not a bureaucrat working for the Department of Education.
U.S. REP. TIM WALBERG, a Republican from Tipton, represents Michigan's 7th District in the U.S. House.